John GilstrapReviews

Zero Sum by John Gilstrap
A Jonathan Graves Thriller #16

Intense, intricately plotted, intriguing story that I hope brings us closer to the demise of corrupt power brokers at the highest levels of the government ~ Fingers crossed and eagerly waiting to find out what happens next.

What I liked:
* Jonathan “Digger” Grave: intelligent, lethal, committed to causes that require a special type of black ops operative to provide justice, caring, wealthy, gives back, rights wrongs, sees the bigger picture
* Brian “Boxer” Van de Muelebroecke: big, quiet, lethal, good friend and lethal colleague of Jonathan’s, works with him to right wrongs, quirky sense of humor, can fly anything, enjoys a good fight
* Gail “Gunslinger” Bonneville: brilliant, ex-FBI HRT member, ex-sheriff, bright, capable, vigilant, talented, lethal, and part of the team doing secretive things with Boxer and Digger, recovering from an injury, seems to be having questions
* Venice “Mother Hen” Alexander: mother, daughter, hacker extraordinaire, brilliant, intriguing, great asset to the team that can provide anything required anywhere
* Irene “Wolfie” Rivers: FBI Director, mother, guardian of orphaned nephew, works with people she doesn’t trust, knows of the corruption in government, trusts Jonathan and his team, intriguing and has a spin-off series coming that I look forward to
* Sissy & Grayson Buchannan: twins, took a dangerous risk, kidnapped on vacation, resilient, survivors
* Big Roxie and her smaller assistants: drones with special abilities that I would never want to be a _target of
* Being able to hate the bad guys and root for their demise

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil so many were in this story and what they were willing to do for personal gain
* Having to wait for the next book

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Pinnacle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I'm almost finished with this one. I've really liked the series so far. But I have to ask does anyone else not like Gail? She's becoming a one note character. "The Law!" "The Law!" Maybe she should stick to the normal PI/Security stuff his company does and the leave the rescuing hostages to Digger, Boxer and Venice.

If I've got to listen to her complain about shooting someone who's pointing a gun at her one more time...

One last nitpick. Why are the women being held hostage such... The mom from the first book was a wet noodle she was such a pacifist. Then the mom here would have probably walked meekly to her grave telling her son to mind his manners.

Harm’s Way by John Gilstrap
Jonathan Grave #15

Missionary stories were big when I was little and at one point I thought it might be interesting to be one. I have since reconsidered and if I had not done so, this book would definitely make me never want to take my chances in a mission field!

What I liked:
* Jonathan “Digger” Grave: intelligent, lethal, committed to causes that require a special type of black ops operative, caring, wealthy, gives back, rights wrongs, sees the bigger picture
* Brian “Boxer” Van de Muelebroecke: big, quiet, lethal, good friend and lethal colleague of Digger who works with him to right the wrongs, quirky sense of humor, can fly anything
* Gail “Gunslinger” Bonneville: brilliant, ex-FBI HRT member, ex-sheriff, bright, capable, vigilant, talented, lethal, and part of the team doing secretive things with Boxer and Digger
* Venice “Mother Hen” Alexander: mother, daughter, hacker extraordinaire, gets lost when working, intriguing, great asset to the team that can provide anything required anywhere
* Jesse “Torpedo” Montgomery and his father Davey “Chief” Montgomery: strong ties though love-hate relationship that rears its head from time to time, both capable and necessary on this op
* Irene “Wolverine” Rivers: Director of the FBI, hires Jonathan and his team for the ops they undertake, a bit of a dark horse but seems to be on the side of what is right
* Max Greenwich: on the mission trip to appease his brother Mikey, intelligent, able to see the trouble they were in when kidnapped, strong, resilient, smarter than many of the missionaries he was with
* That the plot seemed relevant to current affairs
* That it made me think, care about the outcome, and wish that things were different in our current chaotic political climate

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the bad guys and wondering why they made the choices they did…
* Knowing I have to wait for the next book in the series – the teaser has me eager to read the book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, though it had a bit of a sad ending
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Pinnacle for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars½

Jonathan Grave and his trusty right hand, Boxers, are asked by a former commander to run down a former member of their old unit who's gone rogue, murdered several CIA agents and leaked classified information. When they locate their former comrade the story he tells them is too crazy to believe. Someone is plotting to overthrow the US government by a series of high-level assassinations. But their former comrade in arms is convincing.
What follows is an action-packed, pyrotechnic thriller in the hills of West Virginia.
I like Gilstrap's characters, the humor he infuses his stories with, and the way he moves his plot along. While, here, his heroes never seem to be in any real danger, the story is satisfying.

White Smoke by John Gilstrap
Victoria Emerson #3

Good fiction is believable, draws the reader in, and makes them feel a part of the story – this series does just that. I am not sure if this is the final book in a trilogy or if there will be more books to look forward to.

What I liked:
* Victoria: politician, widow, mother, prepper, convinced that good will overcome evil, willing to do what is difficult, not always easy to understand her thinking but admired her and wondered if I could/would do what she did
* Adam, Caleb, and Luke Emerson: sons of Victoria, well trained by their parents, grew up quickly, capable, strong, intelligent and lethal
* Major McRea: a good man, strong sense of duty, widow, stalwart, protective, strategic thinker, grounds Victoria and provides balance
* The plot, pacing, writing, and conclusion…if it is the conclusion
* That it made me think, care, feel, and wonder what skills I would have to offer if in a similar situation after a nuclear war and how I would act and react
* Getting to see how the Ortho community was doing and how those at the annex fared – definitely would have preferred to be in Ortho!
* Wondering what will happen next in the lives of the Emersons, the lives they come in contact with, and the rest of the world
* All of it really…except…

What I didn’t like:
* Parsons and his posse and how wickedly evil they were
* Thinking about how easily society can devolve
* Contemplating government and how it does-doesn’t benefit society

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author/in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This series continues to impress. Unlike other "end of world" series Gilstrap focuses on the political side and the positive. The main character, Senator Victoria Emerson, decided at the last moment not to enter the government bunker during an eminent nuclear strike because her sons were not to be allowed in with her: select government personnel only. She and her family, along with the two military officers whose final duty was to deliver her to the bunker, take off in an attempt to get as far out of DC as possible before the missile hits. They find refuge in a small town and Victoria's down-to-earth, common sense leadership skills take center stage. It's not her intent to lead this community but it does seem to be her calling. Those left in the world are frightened, some to the point of violence and cruelty others to get what they need and others who will cower and concede just to live another day. Victoria doesn't believe it needs to be this way and a peaceful society can be rebuilt through a lot of hard work and cooperation.

The second half of the story has been those government officials tucked safely away in their bunker with all their needs being met, but no way to interact with or help the survivors, and their petty in-fighting believing they still hold a position of power.

This third book brings Victoria back to the bunker away from the "Eden" she's helped build. The security of the bunker has been pierced by a group of marauders who take for themselves and terrorize others for what they have. Parsons is the leader of these marauders and has made himself judge, jury and executioner of the remaining members of Congress. Victoria and her loyal followers aim to bring peace and justice to their holdout and the refugees surrounding it.

Again, I truly enjoy this series not just for the action and survival stories but the morality and focus on what it would take to truly rebuild a society and for the better. The characters and setting are so well presented they are nearly tangible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Excellent book! Great action, sharp characters and timely issues.

Another good one in the series.

I saw this book and read it on the strength of the blurb. A fast-paced thriller which stands the test of time, it is penned in such a wonderful manner that it takes you on an emotional journey along with the main characters. There are not too many twists and turns, just a good plot and an enjoyable read.

Lethal Game by John Gilstrap
Jonathan Grave #14

Another stellar story starring Digger & Boxer as they once again fight the good but rather bloody fight to right wrongs they are faced with. Intense, well written, drew me in and kept me reading throughout.

What I liked:
* Jonathan “Digger” Grave: intelligent, lethal, committed to causes that require a special type of black ops type operative, caring, wealthy, gives back, rights wrongs
* Brian “Boxer” Van de Muelebroecke: big, quiet, lethal, good friend and lethal colleague of Digger who works with him to right the wrongs
* Gail “Gunslinger” Bonneville: brilliant, ex-FBI HRT member, ex-sheriff, bright, capable, vigilant, talented, lethal, and part of the team doing secretive things with Boxer and Digger
* Venice “Mother Hen” Alexander: mother, daughter, hacker extraordinaire, gets lost when working, intriguing, great asset to the team
* Roman Alexander: son of Venice, fourteen, had a rough time in a previous book, integral to this story and growing up through all he experiences
* The plot, pace, writing, and intensity
* The dual locations of where action was taking place
* The communication between team members
* Being able to thoroughly dislike the bad guys
* Rooting for the demise of the bad guys
* That good eventually does overcome evil
* Hoping there will be another book to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that there are evil people who do evil things and too often get away with it
* The loss of so many innocent lives
* Having to wait for the next book to be available

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kesington Pinnacle for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

An absolute struggle to get through. I don't typically read thrillers so I thought that may have been my problem, but honestly it wasn't that "thrilling." Mainly everyone goes around murderering each other and saying how stupid and mean people are.

Blue Fire by John Gilstrap
Victoria Emmerson #2

Apocalyptic dystopian world book two reminded me that human beings are really just animals…some animals are much nicer than others and so are some humans. In book one the world changed drastically. Some people ended up in a bunker set up by the government, some ended up dying almost immediately, and some ended up doing their best to survive. Some humans became opportunists and predators, some became the prey, and some worked together to try to stay safe and create communities that would sustain and survive. This book continues the tale of the Emmerson family with snippets about how those in the bunker are faring…and it kept my interest from first page to last.

What I liked:
* Returning to Ortho to see how Victoria Emmerson, two of her sons, and the rest of the community were doing
* Finding out how Adam Emmerson and his partner, Emma, were doing
* Thinking about what it would be like to be in the shoes of various people in the story
* Wondering what I could contribute to a group trying to survive…which work detail I would be able to assist (there would probably be more than one)
* Watching how the group in Ortho began to create a sense of community and how capitalism came into play
* The real feel and believability of the story
* Thinking about why some would prefer to work together while others would feel the opposite
* Comparing this story to those of the same genre that I read decades ago…the first few books written by Wyndham were in my father’s library and made a huge impact
* That even those who were “good” sometimes had to do “bad” things
* Thinking about how government, community, laws and such would change
* Considering what skills would be essential in a world so changed
* Thinking about the impact such a situation would have on people – all ages and societal levels of people
* Thinking about what would and would not have “value” in a world changed so much
* The plot, writing, character development, and continuation of the story
* Wondering how many books there will be in the series – there is at least one more – White Smoke – have to wait a year for it to be published, though.

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing I have to wait a year to read what happens next

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Hell Day was a horror no one saw coming. Our country, in fact most of the world, was destroyed in a short war that left the survivors with no food, no shelter and no government. The town of Ortho, however, was built and run by a few ex-military and a woman with amazing prepper skills who trained her sons from birth to survive. They've built a safe place for families with the rule that if you don't work, you don't eat. Their success however brings out the uglies in neighboring communities; starving people who won't work for themselves. They just want to pillage and steal from others which creates a situation where Ortho residents have to fight for their lives and their homes. This is a great book!

Jonathan Graves assembles his elite team for a rescue mission into Mexico to rescue one of their members son from a drug cartel. The action is fast and furious in this tense plot.

Al-Faisel wants to punish the Great Satan (U.S.) so he forces an ex-Special Forces guy to recruit colleagues with financial hardships for coordinated, simultaneous attacks: first, snipers killing scores of people at high school football games in the mid-West to show nobody is safe. One sniper is captured and hidden by the FBI and Director Irene Rivers asks Jonathan Grave (Digger) and his team to use their skills extrajudicially to stop the plot. Time and again, developments suggest that there is a major security breach in the FBI, such as when the prisoner is killed before he can be offered clemency to identify others in his cabal. The second round involves bombings in public places. Very fast paced, and Digger's hometown comes under attack by the vindictive leader of the Retribution team. Venice's new boyfriend tries his best to find his way into Security Solutions before being fired by the NSA for helping our heroes. My disappointment with Book 11 is excess information about the private lives and travails of the perpetrators. 3.5 stars, rounded down.

Jonathan (Digger) Grave and Gail Bonneville are having a romantic vacation at an exclusive private island resort when bad guys come agunnin'. Before slipping away, and calling for help, they kill a couple of the bad guys, making them unpopular. Mother Hen/Venice and Big Guy answer their call for help by gathering a rag tag group of folks who owe their lives to Grave. Venice manages to find someone with equal computer skills, and he becomes a useful ally, disclosing the true motive for the island attack. While there was plenty of action and heroics, the hallmark of this series is the close bond between Digger and Big Guy, which was necessarily absent as they were not together this time. Also, I thought the retribution for the mercenaries was a bit light given their actions against both adults and children at the resort.

Jonathan "Digger" Grave and his partner Boxers penetrate a Mexican drug cartel's lair to rescue their current PC (precious cargo), DEA agent Harry Dawkins, eliminating the competition and another unknown group of hostiles. Dawkins seems to be persona non grata, possessing information about U.S. support for kingpin of the Jungle Tigers, Alejandro Azul. Abandoned by their U.S. support team, the three Americans head to an orphanage that houses victims of Azul's violence. Digger's heart cannot abandon these kids and they head towards the Gulf where they hope their support team, headed by Venice Alexander, can arrange transportation home. Lots of action, killing, explosions, and governmental double dealing. Exciting, but I had to deduct a star because it's high time for Gilstrap to find a fresh plot.

Excellent thriller. The novel opens with a barista freaking a sharp knife, chasing a guy into the street, stabbing him to death claiming he had kidnapped and asked him a dozen years ago. However, there is no record of the event because Scorpion and Boxers rescued him. Meanwhile, our two heroes are rescuing the daughter of a Congressman engineered by foreign forces trying to make Americans unsafe, as they did when the Washington sniper terrorized America post 9/11. The street is fast paced, well done, and kind of scary in our current world.

Despite the usual high octane scenes, and the wonderful banter between Jonathan "Digger" Grave and his buddy Boxers, I did not enjoy Book #7. There was little further development of the main characaters (Venice, Wolverine, Father Dom), and Gilstrap has wandered away from Digger's forte as a hostage rescue specialist. This book focuses on political intrigue, and a revolutionary plot to undermine the national leaders in Washington. Skip this one, and I hope Gilstrap goes back to his roots now that he is writing full-time.

Another taut thriller featuring Jonathan "Digger" Graves and his hostage rescue team, Security Solutions. The wife and son of a fellow military man are taken hostage by religious zealots, with a grand political agenda. Approached by a former boss he despises, Graves decides to help his overseas comrade, and goes to war. Fast paced, with enough but not too much morality. P.S. The title of this book made no sense.

While I like the Jonathan Grave series, this in-between novella did very little for me. It provides the back story for his meeting FBI Director Irene Rivers, whose daughters are kidnapped after some of her agents allow a murderer and child rapist to go free. Frantic, she reaches out to a priest friend, who connects her with Digger et al. I found the early version of Irene to have a serious problem of passive-aggressive. 2.5 stars, rounded up.

Jonathan Grave and Boxers are recruited by a young FBI agent to find a 14-year son of spies and his female bodyguard, after the parents are attacked in front of him. He is given a code, but not told its significance, and becomes a pawn in a dangerous game, where the two of them are being sought by dofferent factions with different agendas. Grace and Boxers track them down, with Venice's able help, and end up in the slums of Detroit, where they ally themselves with a local gang leader. Still liking this series.

Note: The e-book version I read was terrible because there was no extra space when the storyline changed. That's really lame.

The second book in the kidnapper rescue specialist, Jonathan Grave series. Two 13-year olds are kidnapped from a school for kids with jailed parents, sponsored by Grave. He and Boxer, along with their new colleague, ex-Sheriff Gail Bonneville are pissed off. A local hermit saves one of the boys and then they set off to unravel the reason for the kidnapping, which goes high into the US government. Gilstrap's high octane stuff culminates with a daring attack on a cocaine manufacturing plant in Colombia.

Jonathan “Digger” Grave aka Scorpion and his operative partner (Boxers) travel to the jungles of Mexico to oversee the delivery of a $3 million ransom to return a youth church group when a slaughter ensues, with a single survivor. The three are blamed by the Mexican police and they have to find their way back into the U.S. On the way, they hook up with the paramour of a Mexican drug lord, bringing even more pressure on their group. Another good effort by Gilstrap, with the usual supporting cast of Venice, Gunslinger, Father Dom, and FBI Director Irene Rivers.

Weakest book of this series by far. The main characters continue to delight, but the plot was too far fetched: FLOTUS (First Lady) is out at a nightclub her Secret Service detail is gunned down and nobody knows what happened to her. Wolverine (Irene Rivers) and the White House Chief of Staff do not know who to trust. Enter Jonathan Grave, Boxers, Venice. FLOTUS joins them to rescue her family from a well-defended island stronghold. Her background story and persona is simply ridiculous. I really hope the next book is better.